Corn-silker.



No. 777,930 I PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

' F. S. ULERY.

CORN SILKBR.

I APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1904. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- I Jive/11m; 46 4/ PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904. F. S. ULERY.

CORN SILKER.

'APPLIUATION FILED MAY 14, 1904.

3 SHEBTSSHEBT 2.

NO MODEL- Ill/U11 I g1; F7

No. 777,930. PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

F. S. ULERY.

CORN SILKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

Q I J UNITED STATES Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK S. ULERY, OF HOOPESTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SPRAGUE OANNING MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COR- PORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CORN-SILKER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 777,930, dated December 20, 1904.

Application filed M y 14, 1904. Serial No. 208,016

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK S. ULERY, a citi- Zen of theUnited States, residing at Hoopeston, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oorn-Silkers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to corn-silkers, and more particularly to an improvement in the way of an attachment or additional feature of construction in that class of machines used for removing corn-silks, pieces of cob, and other foreign matters from the corn during the process of preparing it for canning, and particularly to machines wherein a revolving cylindrical sieve or screen is used for this purpose.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide in a machine of the character referred to a device which will separate the kernels of corn from each other after they have been cut from the cob, thus preventing groups of kernels which cling together from being carried over the sieve and discharged with the pieces of cob and other coarse matters intended to be separated from the corn by the screen; to provide a device which co operates with the sieves in distributing the corn over the sieves, and thus increasing the rate atwhich the kernels are passed through the sieves, as well as to insure the passage of all the corn therethrough; to provide a construction in which the sieveor screen during its movement redelivers to the action of the separating device any kernels which may have escaped being separated from each other or become stuck together before passing through tion. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end View showing the manner of supporting the outer ends of the sieves; and Fig. 5 is an end View of the sieves, showing star-pinion for driving same in opposite directions.

In the drawings, 1 designates as a whole a corn silking machine, the construction of which may be of any desired type. The silking mechanism proper, which forms no part of the present invention, is located in the upper part of the machine, and from which through the chute or hopper 2 the cut corn is fed into the end of a double rotary screen or sieve 3 of cylindrical form, said screen comprising a pair of cylindrical sieves mounted one within the other and arranged to be rotated in opposite directions by a star-pinion. (Shown in Fig. 5 andhereinafter referred to.) The cut corn is fed into the end of the inner sieve through the chute 2, where it is agitated and sifted through to the outer sieve and thence through to a receiving-pan 4:, said sieves being mounted in a slightly-inclined position, so that the pieces of cob and other coarse materials will pass over the sieves and out at the opposite end thereof.

Referring now to the invention proper and more particularly to Figs. 2 and 8, 5 and 6 designate, respectively, outer and inner cylindrical sieves or screens supported in the lower part of the machine-frame in the usual manner (indicated clearly in Fig. 4) and arranged to be revolved in opposite directions, as above stated, by means of suitable gearing mechanism, (designated as a whole 7.)

8 designates a shaft revolubly mounted in the framework of the machine and driven at a rapid rate by means of a sprocket or pinion 9, said shaft projecting a substantial distance into the inner cylindrical sieve Gand having mounted upon the end. thereof a guard or guide wheel 10 of slightly less diameter than the interior of said inner sieve. The portion of said shaft within said sieve is provided with prongs or spikes 11, constituting an agitator or spiked cylinder adapted to revolve within said inner sieve for the purpose of thoroughly agitating and distributing the cut corn fed theremto and separating the kernels of corn which may cling together in groups too large to pass through the screens and which would otherwise be carried over the sieves and out at the end thereof with the pieces of cob and other matters. In order to bring such groups of adhering kernels repeatedly into contact with said spiked cylinder, said screen-cylinders are provided on their interiors with flange-like projections 12, made in the present instance of angle-strips of metal. These strips pick up the corn which does not pass readily through the screen and carry it upwardly around the cylinder until it falls off into contact with the revolving spiked cylinder by which it is separated, or if it be the outer cylinder the corn is carried upwardlyand dropped off onto the inner cylinder and is thus agitated and caused to be fed through the sieves more rapidly, falling at last into the receiving-pan, while the pieces of cob and other coarse matters are carried over the sieves and out at the end thereof by reason of the incline and rotation of the sieves.

The sieves are caused to rotate in opposite directions by means of astar-pinion 13, mounted upon the end of a shaft 1 revolubly mounted in the frame and driven by chain-andsprocket mechanism, as indicated in Fig. 1. Said star-pinion revolves between the ends of the sieves and engages the projecting pins 15, mounted in the angle-pieces 16 and 17 around the ends of said sieves, as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 4:.

As the cut corn passes through the revolv' ing screens it is also freed from any cornsilks which may not have been removed during its treatment in the silker in the upper portion of the machine and delivered to the receiving-pan in a perfectly-clean condition for use.

While I have herein shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that alterations and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not, therefore, limit the invention to the details of construction and arrangement shown except in so far as such details are made the subject-matter of specific claims.

I claim 1. In a corn-silking machine, the combination of outer and inner sieves revolubly mounted one within the other, an agitator rotatably mounted in the inner sieve, and mechanism for simultaneously revolving said sieves and said agitator, the direction of rotation of the latter being opposite to that of one or both sieves substantially as described.

2. In a corn silking machine, a revoluble hollow sieve provided on its interior with a plurality of flange-like projections, a spiked cylinder revolubly mounted therein,'and mechanism for simultaneously revolving said sieve and said spiked cylinder in opposite directions, substantially as described.

3. In a corn-silking machine, the combination with a suitable supporting-frame, of a hollow sieve revolubly mounted therein, a spiked shaft revolubly mounted within said sieve to turn in an opposite direction thereto and cooperating therewith in separating and sifting the cut corn fed thereto, anda guardwheel mounted upon the inner end of said spiked shaft for the purpose described.

4. In a corn-silking machine, the combination with a suitable supporting-frame, of a pair of hollow-sieves revolubly mounted one within the other to turn in opposite directions, a plurality of flange-like strips mounted upon the interiors of said sieves, and mechanism for simultaneously revolving said sieves in opposite directions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a corn-silking machine, the combination of a pair of cylindrical sieves mounted one within the other and rotatable in opposite directions, a plurality of flange-like projections mounted within said sieves, and a re' volving agitator mounted within the inner sieve and operating to separate the kernels of corn from each other and distribute them within the sieve, substantially as described.

FRANK S. ULERY.

Witnesses:

WV. R. LITZENBERG, L. F. MOCREA. 

